A life story "triage" exercise - how to tell the best ten stories of your life.

Ola! and greetings from the Rootstech conference in Salt Lake City! We had a fabulous first day and were thrilled to meet quite a number of you face to face.

Here is a short exercise from today's presentation, "Story Triage: How to Tell the Best Ten Stories of Your Life." If you are at the Rootstech conference, you can hear this presentation at 2:30 p.m. in Room 150. If you aren't able to join us, here is a little exercise you might want to try. It may jump-start some memories, and give you some ideas about important stories you need to tell.

Quickly list TEN things about your life: (don't overthink this!)

10 funniest things

10 most tragic things

10 most influential people

10 challenges you faced

10 life lessons you learned

10 turning points

10 epiphanies

10 most embarrassing moments

10 most spiritual experiences

Look for connections.

Are there stories that show up in more than one list? These stories that reveal connections between strong (and often conflicting) emotions could prove to be some of the most important, and most interesting, of your life stories. These are the stories that could be among your most powerful.

Give it a try and let me know what you think! And if you are attending the conference, stop by our booth #1406 and say hello!

Writing a memoir or autobiography is a daunting, overwhelming task, one that requires hours/days/years of uninterrupted time. Not to mention a degree in English. And a trust fund so you can quit your day job.

Wait, but...NO!.

It doesn't have to be that way. Writing a story can be really quite simple, like washing your hair. Three simple steps: Lather, rinse, repeat.